diff --git a/bugs b/bugs
index df6a0ef9..b1bee0fc 100644
--- a/bugs
+++ b/bugs
@@ -33,3 +33,7 @@ Tue Jan 27 17:12:36 EDT 1998
 Wed Jan 28 14:48:12 EDT 1998
 >> tables can become full of "emptys" slots, and keep growing without limits.
 
+** lstrlib.c
+Mon Mar  9 15:26:09 EST 1998
+>> gsub('a', '(b?)%1*' ...) loops (because the capture is empty).
+
diff --git a/lstrlib.c b/lstrlib.c
index 5f88656c..13d87ac6 100644
--- a/lstrlib.c
+++ b/lstrlib.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
-** $Id: lstrlib.c,v 1.9 1998/03/06 16:54:42 roberto Exp roberto $
+** $Id: lstrlib.c,v 1.10 1998/03/06 18:47:42 roberto Exp roberto $
 ** Standard library for strings and pattern-matching
 ** See Copyright Notice in lua.h
 */
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ static char *match (char *s, char *p, struct Capture *cap)
       switch (*ep) {
         case '*': {  /* repetition */
           char *res;
-          if (s1 && (res = match(s1, p, cap)))
+          if (s1 && s1>s && (res = match(s1, p, cap)))
             return res;
           p=ep+1; goto init;  /* else return match(s, ep+1, cap); */
         }
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@ static char *match (char *s, char *p, struct Capture *cap)
           char *res;
           if ((res = match(s, ep+1, cap)) != 0)
             return res;
-          else if (s1) {
+          else if (s1 && s1>s) {
             s = s1;
             goto init;  /* return match(s1, p, cap); */
           }